


Part 2:  Your Truth, Exposed

by 0blivion



Series: Devorak's Discarded Encounters [3]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adultery, Adventure, Angst, Dancing, Drinking, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fighting, Fights, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Getting Rowdy, Hurt/Comfort, Lemon, M/M, Masturbation, Mild Blood, Romance, Self-Insert, Sex, Smut, Some suicidal tendencies, Strong Language, Travel, alluding towards suicide, explicit sex themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-06-18 14:19:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15487737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0blivion/pseuds/0blivion
Summary: A short story that involves Julian Devorak and a gender neutral protagonist, getting to know each other through trial and error.





	1. Another Round, Please

**Author's Note:**

> "Don't feel obligated to wake me when you leave in the morning."
> 
>  
> 
> _I didn't think you'd return._
> 
>  
> 
> "I need a drink."

“Another one Hyde, my good friend.” You said with a sloppy smile plastered onto your face. “One just like the drink you just gave me. It was just so good.” Your fascination with such a simple 4-letter word as ‘just’ showed as you made sure to pronounce each letter of the word correctly, but slurred the rest of the words in your conversation.

Hyde gave you a toothy smile, then grabbed your cup from you and filled it to the brim with liquor again while he shook his head. “Drink responsibly.” He teased and slid the drink back to you, sloshing the beer a bit as the force of his push came to a halt when the glass bumped your open palm.

You wrapped your fingers around the glass and looked up, giving him a flirtatious wink. “Oh, you know how I am.” You told him as you lifted the glass to your lips and took a gulp.

Music played loudly in this unfamiliar pub, followed by random shouts and bursts of laughter from various customers having a good time together. Hyde’s eyes lifted to the ruckus and smirked lightly as he watched everyone mingling together and drinking his wares. Your softened vision blinked once at him to refocus and noticed him sweeping his vision across the floor, then turned to see if what he was admiring was worth a look.

A group of bar goers joked and clanked beers and drank together while some played a game of dice together in the direction that Hyde stared. This game did not seem as high stakes as your games often became, and quickly you found your interest diving. 

A man tossed his dice onto the table and watched them tumble. People around him roared in laughter when they saw what numbers they landed on. “Better luck next time, Terry!” They chortled and threw back their drinks in varying moments while Terry gathered his dice again to start shaking for another go.

Your red-headed friend had found himself a place amongst the crowd, jesting with the rest of them as the games persisted with two more men starting another round between each other. Julian looked to be getting comfortable with others, a snicker of mischief stretched across his jaw while he chatted and quipped at the misfortunes of the players.

And as if he felt your stare, Julian's gaze lifted from the person he had been talking to. He caught your gaze from across the room with his steel-colored vision. After he had took in your rosy cheeks and hazy stare, his smile paused to a mild look of concern.

Blinking flatly at him, you turned back around in your chair and continued to drink your cup dry with your back to him. “They’re just practicing so they can hold something to one of my games I was telling you about. Maybe I should show them how far their skills need to develop before they can challenge me?”

Hyde raised his eyebrows in surprise at the utterance that left your breath, nearly tempting you to act on it. “Let them enjoy themselves.” He asked as he grabbed a rag to wipe up the spot along the bar that another patron had left dirty. He collected the glasses scattered there and noticed you pouting into your empty glass.

You felt two gazes on you now and sunk in your chair trying to dodge both of them. You pushed the empty glass back and forth on the bar top with your fingers and then slipped out of your chair, feet landing on the ground firmly. 

Hyde cocked a brow at you, trying to figure out what had the gears in your head turning. “Maybe you should stay where you are.” He suggested as he watched you lose your balance when you turned towards the band playing. “I can grab your friend and have him take you home?”

Closing your eyes, you listened to the music as it changed to a more slow, sensual song and pushed forth a smile to your lips. “Shhhh. Shh.” You answered Hyde, waving at him to quiet down. “I’m going to go dance for a bit, Hyde.” You walked towards an open area between the tables and bar, closer to the people playing the music.

Once you were near the stage, you closed your eyes and started to move to the music choosing a dance style that did not threaten to make you lose balance or take up much space on the floor. When you felt brave enough, you turned on the ball of your foot and flung your arms above your head giggling lightly as you moved. Done with the spin, you brought your arms down to rake through your hair, tugging at it lightly and then tracing over your shoulders and down over your torso. The voices of the patrons around you faded to a quiet murmur as you let the music engulf you and it swept you away with the low notes and steady rhythm. As you stepped to match the beat, the flavors from your drink earlier started to bubble within you and made your heart and stomach flutter.

A tap on your shoulder brought you back from your trance. When you opened your eyes, it took another moment to focus on the face of the person who requested your attention.

"Care if I join?" A warm, fluid voice asked you as they pushed their hand down your upper arm over the sleeve of your new shirt and focused on your unresponsive eyes.

Even though you did not recognize their smile, you nodded and wrapped an arm around their neck pulling your chests together. The person let out a chuckle at your enthusiasm and wrapped their own arm around your waist, bringing both of your hips together too. 

You took a step. They took a step backwards, their eyes asking you to take the lead.

You extended your arm above and over them. They twirled beneath it and then returned their hands to your hips, hooking thumbs into the waist line of the pants Julian had brought back for you this morning.

You pushed a hand onto their cheek and used it to guide your eyes to theirs. They leaned in and pressed their forehead to yours, a faint but wanting groan escaped from their throat.

Heat overwhelmed the crown of your head and you disregarded the deep sound they had made between you two. You took a step back and tried to pull away from them, done with dancing for the moment. In response, you were pulled back uncomfortably close, their chest to your back. They must have thought it was a role reversal within your dance.

You frowned and shook your head. "Let me go." You said with a cross tone and furrowed brows. You pushed away again, finally getting away from your unknown dancing partner.

"Come on," The stranger answered you, reaching for your wrist and they tried to pull you back. "One more song,” They begged, their smile showing a bit of their teeth and a hooded gaze to compliment it.

"No! Let go!" You snapped while you yanked your arm back and put up a defense. Once your hand was pulled free, anger overwhelmed you and your hand balled itself into a fist. You stepped forward towards your target, pushed force behind your now swinging arm, and anticipated your knuckles grazing right on their jawline--

But your arm stopped with a gentle tug at the crook of your elbow.

The person in front of you looked at you with surprise and disgust, then they furrowed their brow. "What the fuck?" They asked, flicking their gaze between you and something behind your shoulder. 

You took this moment to realize it had not been them that had grabbed your arm to stop your blow, and then looked over your shoulder yourself.

Julian's flushed face answered yours with a knitted brow and wrinkles on the bridge of his nose. He pushed your arm down and continued his stern look. "I think its time to go." He suggested to you, then turned to your dance partner. "Please excuse them, they've been drinking for quite some time. I'm sorry about the inconvenience." He fished out some money and offered it to them. "Buy yourself a drink for your trouble."

The dance partner took the money from Julian, giving both of you a look that expressed confusion, and then turned towards Hyde to go collect their drink.

You drew your arm away from Julian, and started towards the place’s door. "You don't need to watch over me. I'm capable of doing it myself." You sneered, finally making it through the doors and out onto the street. Julian followed you outside of the bar and the door swung on it’s hinges behind him.

"As much as I don't mind a good bar fight," Julian started to lecture, "It looks like you have had your limit of booze, and that fight wouldn't have ended well for you. You’re still healing from your last brawl, remember?”

He wasn't wrong. You had been at that bar all day tossing back drinks. Your prolonged stay is what helped you learn Hyde's name and grow friendly with him. 

Julian took a few extra strides to catch up to your angry stomps. "Hey. Slow down."

"No."

"Then tell me where you are going."

"Out."

"We're already there.” Julian answered with a smirk. 

His response made you halt and glare at him. However, the sudden stop and turn dizzied you. Your lids fluttered to regain their focus on your target. After Julian's eyepatch regained the details in its material, you resumed your glare.

Julian could not contain his chuckle at your actions. The sun's rays from the setting sky highlighted the red on his nose and cheeks. He clearly had a few drinks himself, but was holding his liquor better than you had been. That just frustrated you even more to think of what a superior drinking pal he was. 

"It got you to stop to answer me, at least." He explained himself, knowing what your look meant.

"Why are you _still_ here?" You snapped at him as you brought your hands up to shove his chest angrily. Julian took a step or two back from the force of your push. "I've been alone these few past months and got along fine that way. Then you showed up, lost a bet, and just won't leave me alone again!"

"Calm down." Julian asked with a softer voice, his smile dropping as he saw anger in your eyes. He took a step forward towards you. "Just talk to me." 

"I didn't ask you to help me. I don't need you." You scoffed at him again, "I live alone for a reason. I don't want friends. I don't need your pity."

Julian grimaced at your response clearly upset, and pressed his lips together trying to figure out something to say to comfort and calm you back down. While he stood puzzled, you turned to start stomping away again. 

Lifting your foot for your first stomp, you caught it on the back of your calf and lost balance, tumbling forward. You collided with the stone path beneath you and scraped your forearm and elbow on the stones below when you braced yourself from the fall.

Julian jumped to your aid and rushed over to help you back up. He turned you from your stomach to a seated position and looked at your arm. With gloved hands, he pivoted your limb over to examine the scrapes and let out a sigh. "Looks like you could use me a little longer." He stated with a sigh and let you pull your arm back from his grasp.

With your sleepy eyes, you fixed on his gray one partially covered by disheveled auburn bangs. You searched for something to respond with to push him away again, but gave up when you felt your arms sting from the aftereffects of your fall. "Just… help me home." You demanded quietly, trying to get yourself back up to your feet.

Julian placed an arm on your back, and grabbed your hand to pull you up to your feet. You swayed a bit as your balance recalibrated when you regained your height. Julian gave you a soft and comforting smile. "Come on. We're not far from the house." He reassured you and helped you continue down the street.


	2. Extra Sriracha (NSFW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julian gets everything off of his chest - in the comfort of a hotel bathtub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an extra chapter that doesn’t need to be read to get the full story of _Devorak’s Discarded Encounters_. The purpose of this literature is just to spice things up for those wanting to be woo’d by the doc himself.
> 
>  **WARNING:** Mild hints to suicide as well as explicit sex themes are included within this work.

Along your walk back home, you started to lean more onto Julian as he ushered you down the streets. Your steps became slow and short strides, slowing Julian’s pace significantly. Finally, Julian offered to let you crawl onto his back so he could carry you the rest of the way home. He bent down, let you climb up and curled his arms around your legs to keep you from slipping off as you made yourself comfortable on him. 

While on his back, your cheek rested in the dip between his shoulder blades and you had drifted off to a sweet, deep slumber. 

With each block you two travelled, Julian’s flushed, warm face from drinking had faded into sobriety with a residual pink hue. Julian’s arms were starting to wear down the longer he held you securely up, and a sign caught his eye on the way to your secluded shack.

 **Hotel Hypnos**  
Vacancy, Newly Rennovated

So naturally, Julian - with judgement clouded from a mixture of drinks and the physical strain from carrying you for some distance - turned from his original path and headed towards the hotel. He handed some money to the lady at the desk, and she handed him a key giving him a smirk as she caught the sight of you on his back.

“Your room is at the end of the hall. It’s a very quiet part of the hotel… you two should be able to get some peaceful sleep.” She said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye, reflecting what she was imagining through them. 

Julian’s cheeks flushed again from embarrassment, but instead of explaining himself he went straight for the room she had given you two, ready to drop you onto the mattress and crawl into the other bed provided.

Upon opening the door, a vast room was revealed through the dim light provided from the hallway lamps. Julian stepped through the threshold and let the door shut with a click behind him and he turned to lock it. Then, he sauntered over to the sleeping area and saw a single bed and a chair and frowned.

“I swore I had asked for two beds…” He spoke under his breath, then helped you gently slide to the mattress from his back. He slowly shifted your heavy, slumbering body onto the soft covers on the mattress, making sure to cradle your head as your weight shifted to make sure you would not wake from a sudden flop onto the new surface. When you settled into the bed, his fingers slowly slid from cradling your skull and grazed your cheek, lingering a bit longer than he had intended.

As his touch traced along your warm cheek, one of your hands reached up to grab his wrist and gently tried to squeeze it in your grip. “Don’t… please…” you exhale in a hushed tone, spoken as if you were responding to a dream or faint memory. However, your grip faded in mere moments and it slid off of Julian’s wrist and onto the bed covers beside you as you shifted again to continue your slumber.

Julian’s cheeks flushed deep red again when he watched your face peacefully shift and settle back down. His skin tingled with fading heat from your touch - brief as it was. His eye traced your long lashes, flushed lips, and fragile frame and his heart quickened in pace.

 _They look so different when asleep._ He thought as a warm smile crept its way onto his lips before he stood his full height and rolled his shoulders to stretch them. _I just hope they’re not mad I brought them here when they wake up… They need a more proper place to stay._

Turning back to the small entryway he had come through, Julian went to search for a second cover to use for himself to make a place for himself on the chair. During his search, he found his way to the bathroom and looked through the closets and drawers. As he searched, his thoughts drifted back to a peacefully slumbering you, and he felt his heart quicken pace with each remembered heave of your chest.

 _Don’t do this_ , Julian begged as he closed his eyes and shook his head when he found only towels to wash with instead of spare covers. _I need to stop romanticizing everything in my life. I’ve gotten into enough trouble from that already._ He scolded himself as he backed away from the closet and shut the door quietly. Finding the edge of the tub, he sat down and rubbed his face with rough leather covered fingers to bring himself back to Earth.

 _I just need to focus on staying low, and try to remember what happened at the masquerade._ Julian’s heart sank in his chest at the thought. _Make peace with it. Try to move on._ If Julian had committed what he was accused of, there would be no sense in trying to clear his name.

Julian looked up and to the bathroom ceiling, soaking in the dread that had been welling in his chest since the night he was sentenced to be hung. Nadia’s regal and furrowed brow burned into Julian’s memory. Asra’s look of surprise and displeasure yanked at his heart strings. Julian’s chest tightened in anguish at the way he had to rush away from Vesuvia and could never return. He could not face Pasha or Mazelinka again.

 _Make peace._ Julian reminded himself, closing his eyes again, making an effort to clear his mind. _Move on._

Julian remembered a trick Asra had taught him while they were coexisting in the palace. Asra guided Julian through a form of meditation to help him calm when he became stressed and overworked. Using the technique, Julian cleared his mind while counting back from ten. With each number, he inhaled and focused on holding his breath, and with each exhale he expelled a worry to create a blank slate to reduce his mix of emotions and come to a calmer state of mind.

Ten. In with a long, smooth breath. Out with the death of Count Lucio he had been framed for. Or did. He couldn’t remember.

Nine. In with another deep breath. Out with Nadia’s sentencing him to be hung for the crime he admitted to, but now doubted.

Eight. In with a somber, even inhale. Exhale the thoughts of Asra and all of his expressions, touches, and coos.

Six. Inhale. Exhale.

Four. Inhale. Exhale.

Three. Inhale and out of the blank slate, Julian saw a curled lip and heard a confident hum. Immediately he was thrown into the poker game where he met you. Exhale and his heart warmed and started to thump quickly again.

Julian remembered how confident you were at the table. How you fluttered your eyelashes at him and your other opponents teasingly. The recollection of that night and how you exuded confidence called a smile to his face.

Then his thoughts flashed to you offering him a place to stay; you wrapping his arm up after he had gotten stabbed through for you. He recalled your expression from when he came back with breakfast for you, and felt his chest warm up and fill the hollow pit that had started forming there.

Julian slumped back into the empty tub behind him, although normally uncomfortable he did not mind the awkwardness of how ill-fitting the tub was for him to rest in right now. He let his thoughts linger on you and remembered various points of the past few days, each making his heart beat a bit harder and head feel light.

Maybe the liquor had come back to sway him into the desired premise of companionship; maybe the creeping loneliness of being on the run had wore him down.

But in sad truth, even with you - someone who at least offered him kindness, even if it was fleeting at times - he was still alone.

Through that realization, Julian concluded that carnal desire was the only thing to offer him comfort in such a time. Without having someone to help him act on it, he shifted in the tub and quietly unlaced his pants. He bit his lip and pulled his gloves off, tossing them onto the bathroom floor. He rolled up the sleeves to his red shirt revealing his wound from a few days back and then untucked the hem, preparing himself to not get any of his shame upon the new cloth.

Then he took a deep breath and pushed a hand into his loins and felt his body respond, twitching and warm. He made quick work getting himself riled up and thick, his desire to be touched and appreciated made it easy to influence his body.

Your grip on his wrist and those muttered words helped him visualize a moment that could have stemmed from it - had you been fully awake, aware of the phrase you uttered, and whose wrist you had grabbed. Even though Julian was sure the intended recipient was not actually him, he was going to go with it just until he had his fill of this fleeting feeling of being needed.

While he massaged his manhood, he thought about if your grip had travelled up his arm and your eyes opened to look into his surprised gaze. 

There would have been a glistening shine to your pupil that expressed desire. You would have leaned up and pulled him down to catch your lips on his. Your kiss would have sent shivers down his back. You would have pressed in further when you felt him tremble, and praised his reaction of need for affection, then you would have mirrored his enthusiasm.

Julian pulled his grip up his length and let his thumb rub the head of his cock, spreading the slick essence of his desire all over his taught tip. While he imagined being pulled onto the bed and hastily stripped of his clothes, he started to stroke down the length of his shaft and back up again with vigor.

He imagined pushing his hands through your hair, laying his own passionate kisses upon your skin, and you reaching your own hand down into his pants to feel his desire for you. 

He gasped and tensed his muscles as he climbed the ladder, approaching the peak of his orgasm. He envisioned you biting into his skin on the tender crook of his neck and drawing blood from the force of the bite.

With one final pull, his seed milked slowly from deep within, oozing out and dripping over his pelvis. Julian opened his eyes, fixed his gaze on a spot in the room and let out a deep sigh to slow his heart rate back to a normal rhythm as he tumbled down from the peak and landed in reality.

When fully settled, Julian felt the pit he had tried to fill with this imagined tryst return back to his chest. It reminded him of how empty and lonely he still was and always would be until the day he finally hung for his crime.

Be his death caused by the hands of his enemies, his friends, or his own.


	3. Good Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up after a night of drinking and try to discern where the night had led you and what had happened at the tavern.
> 
> And where was Julian?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Another one, Hyde, my good friend."
> 
> "I'm going to go dance."
> 
> "Looks like you could use me a little longer."

You awoke the next morning to a darkened room with a clamor coming from above. Two people were enthusiastically discussing an unknown topic and stomping around on the ceiling above you like they owned shoes made out of bricks. You groaned, turned to your side, and snuggled to the soft cover beneath you and felt yourself smile at how comfortable your bed felt today.

Then something dawned on you.

You were not at the broken down, sinking, flooded shack you had been calling home for the past few weeks. You shot up from your spot and tried to figure out where your drunken stupor had lead you this time.

 _I didn’t wander home with another customer again, did I?_ You recalled memories of when you first came to this town: having to sneak out of multiple places, collect your things quietly (along with some money you found along the way, whether it belonged to you or not), and head out without leaving a message of any kind. Who was to say it would not happen again?

But this time was different than the others.

Typically the people who coaxed you to their home typically did not have someone banging around above their bedroom. Or leave you alone in the room, for that matter. They also usually had some source of light leaking through a window in the morning, which woke you up and reminded you to flee before they awoke so you would not have to worry about the awkward 'morning after' routine. In here, however, it was stark black like someone had stuffed you into a windowless room or the owner had pulled a curtain made from luxurious materials that actually blocked out light so you could sleep longer.

You slid yourself off of the bed and felt cool stone underneath your bare feet. You felt around with your toes to try and decipher a path to either the door or something that would provide light for you. You stood up and extended your fingers out, finding the textured wall surface and traced along its build until your finger tips brushed a heavy cloth material.

Grabbing the curtain, you pushed it open and let a bright, blinding wall of sunlight flood in to illuminate the room. Your eyes took a second to adjust to the change, and when they finally were able to discern the objects outside you looked at the busy market in the street below.

 _I’m by the market district. It’s only a few blocks from home._ You recalled as you stepped back from the window and examined the rest of the room for some more clues as to why you ended up here.

You quickly patted yourself down, feeling the outfit that Julian had bought you still in place and not distressed but smelling heavily of liquor.

 _That’s right. I went to that tavern yesterday._ The twinge of a headache thrummed on your crown and you winced painfully. _Drank a lot._ You reminded yourself as you put a hand to your pounding skull and exhaled as you tried to recall after that.

You remembered music, dancing, and…

 _Julian._ You cheeks flushed from the memory of his face: a confident curl to his lips and two raised brows over an entertained gray eye and accompanying leather patch. You recalled seeing this expression in a darker area much like the alley way you two hid in the night before last.

He must have approached you and made you dance with him at the bar. The golden booze that you used to quench your thirst last night must have made you behave without thinking of consequence - and he _took advantage_ of that! Your face started to heat with anger that did not have solid evidence behind it. Remembering that someone had grabbed you and made you uncomfortable added more fuel to your fire as you assumed the one who made you uncomfortable had been him. Then Julian’s frowning expression resurfaced and just sent you into further confusion and frustration.

But if Julian was the one who brought you to this hotel, where was he? You had questions that needed to be answered by the culprit, so you set out for clues to find him.

Taking cautious steps around the bedroom to avoid tampering with evidence (if any), you searched the bedroom. No shoes or coat had been scattered on the floor. There was not a calling card he had left for you either. Did he just… disappear?

 _Oh, he’s a slippery type, innit he?_ You thought as you flipped pillows and checked under the bed skirt. Standing up you attempted to consider where else there could be signs of his location. When you recalled being carried past a check-in desk, you deduced that the person residing at it would have a clue about if Julian had left without you or if he was located in another room. With that thought, you marched towards the door and unlocked the bolt and chain.

Then you heard a whimper and it made you stop in surprise. You paused, waiting for another sound, too scared to move for fear of missing it. This time, a sound of shuffling against a hard surface was followed by a muffled groan and you turned pinpointing where it had come from.

The bathroom.

No lights were on in there. Although your skin prickled with bumps from how anxious you were, you pushed the door open quietly and pressed into the bathroom without any thought of what could be waiting. The further you stepped in, the more your eyes adjusted to the absence of light. Within moments you were able to locate the source of the sounds nestled in the tub.

Uncomfortably nestled, at that. Julian lay in the cast iron tub, tangled upon his own limbs and bent in on himself, fast asleep. You examined him in awe and confusion, trying to figure out how he could have possibly slept in such an uncomfortable way. One leg poked over the edge of the tub, his boot still on but had come loose midway down his calf, coming out barely to his knee to stay on. His pants were disheveled, shirt untucked, and eyepatch string seemed a little loose under his tossed and partially knotted hair. His coat was shoved under his head to create a pillow, and his gloves were tossed onto the floor. Even amongst the mess that he had thrown himself into, painful as it looked, his eye remained closed and his breaths were deep and even.

 _He fell asleep in the tub._ Sounded like the servant you had won in a poker game made himself at home in the bar, had a few two many himself, and crashed in the tub after making sure you were safe on the bed.

How… Sweet. Selfless. Chivalrous.

You bent down towards the tub, careful not to touch the slumbering giant or his bed, and got onto your knees. A corner of your mouth moved to smile slightly, somewhat cursing your thought process from earlier. You reached in to grab his shoulder to wake him up when something caught your eye.

A mark on the back of his left hand. A tattoo, a strange symbol that looked familiar but left you confused. While examining the spade end of the symbol, Julian shifted beneath your stretched out hand and rolled to his back, his head adjusted itself on the improvised pillow and he let out a hefty sigh which grazed your skin with warmth and made you flush. While in shock, you watched him settle back down as he swallowed and smacked his mouth open and shut, tasting the morning air. You started to pull back your hand and heard him heave another heavy breath in, and when he exhaled he fluttered open his heavy eyelid and noticed your hand dangling midair in front of him.

Eyes growing wide with alarm he started to raise himself to sit in the tub, grabbing the sides of the basin and gripping it until his knuckles whitened. Before saying anything, he traced your hand up your arm and to your shirt before visibly relaxing a little.

“Julian,” You asked with a firm curiosity, “What are we doing in a hotel? And what’s that symbol on your hand?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I went kinda MIA... I've been getting distracted by other things. I didn't forget you lovelies, though!


	4. A Doctor and A Home Wrecker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, your past comes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Julian ... What are we doing in a hotel? And what’s that symbol on your hand?”

“You should have just taken me home." You scolded Julian while you leaned against the window sill and crossed your arms to comfort yourself as he stepped out from the bathroom, gloves back on and coat draped over his arm.

"I brought you here because I didn't want you staying another night in that house." Julian told you, then let out a sigh as he noticed your unchanging mood. "Don't get me wrong, that place has character, but you deserve a more comfortable place to sleep… imagine waking up in that miserable place with the massive headache you more than likely have to find that you've been caved in - or you're being flooded because of the tide." You shifted uncomfortably on the sill, changing your footing by crossing your ankles the other way and tightening your folded arms around your torso. He noticed, and then threw his coat onto the bed and took a few more strides to reach your side.

“I _like_ that ‘miserable’ place, Julian!” You defended the shack, but he had a point. The smell of the salty air, sound of the waves crashing, and the sun's rise and fall every day were relaxing. However, the bowing ceiling and rotting floors of the shack were hazardous and a good cause for concern. “It keeps me grounded - reminds me of where I belong in this — this ridiculous world!” You spout off, throwing your hands up and gesturing towards the hotel room as if the world had a physical embodiment that justified your use of the description 'ridiculous' standing in the room with you two. “It feels safe there. It makes me remember where I came from and why I am where I’m at.”

“Believe me, as thrilling as it is to laugh in the face of demise, you don’t belong in a run down death trap that threatens to cave in on you at any moment!” Julian answered you back, matching your volume and energy. “If you value your well-being—“

“ **I don’t.** ”

Julian stopped himself from reaching out to touch your shoulder, frozen in uncertainty. _Did they really just say…?_

A lingering, insufferable pause between you two arose. Tension thickened the air. Pressure built between your two bodies and it nearly drove you mad. After a moment, you lifted your vacant gaze up to meet Julian’s softened stare. You shifted again and moved your gaze back to the floor. You drew yourself even further from his hesitant, outstretched palm and settled back down with your arms squeezing your sides and your hands balling the shirt within two tightly clenched fists.

He dropped his gloved hand back to his side and shook his head, disbelieving. “Don’t say that.”

“What? Are you going to start scolding me now from my lack of caring?” You scoffed, studying the floor patterns to avoid looking back into his steely iris. “If the roof were to collapse on me tonight - or last night, or next week - I _deserve_ it.”

Another small, lingering pause.

“No, you don’t.” Julian tried as he felt his own chest start to constrict, making the act of inhaling difficult.

“Save it.” You pushed back, “You don’t even know me. How could you say that to a complete stranger?”

Julian looked away from your avoiding stare and turned his attention to just over your shoulder, out to the street where people were up and moving about their days. Each of them waving to each other, some conversing, some purchasing goods, but none of them looked like they were battling something inside - not like how you looked to him right now.

“Then help me understand.” He suggested.

You took a deep breath in, closed your eyes, and as you exhaled you shuddered with shoulders visibly shaking. “It’s not interesting.” You felt a small brush to the loose end of your shirt sleeve and looked back to see Julian’s long, gloved finger stretched as if he wanted to reassure you with touch but knew that would not fit in a moment like this. You traced your eyes up his arm, seeing the end of the black glove meet the red in his loose shirt, then the shirt material abruptly change to a pale skin, and eventually landed on his eye patch framed with his scarlet curls.

After tracing thread with your eyes and counting each stitch you could make out from a distance, you let out another heave to try and bring yourself back to a stronger disposition he had grown accustomed to. Not this weak, defenseless one that had caught him off guard.

“It started with someone I had been seeing…”

* * *

A feeble sound slipped from your throat as you trembled, coming down from your high - tumbling, tumbling - and landed on soft skin with a firm build beneath you. It glistened with sweat and smelled of earthy smells and perfumed smoke. Their chest lifted and fell, letting out a chuckle as they felt you remain on their rib cage while you gathered your breath and straightened your thoughts.

“[Name],” their voice chimed like bells, a soft alarm releasing you from your dreamlike state. “I need to get dressed. I have somewhere to be, remember?” 

Silently, you nodded and heaved yourself up to look at their gloriously spent body and tired expression laying beneath you - entangled with your frame. Heat rose from their skin with every connecting touch of your bodies.

You did this to them.

You loved that you did this to them.

They loved doing this to you.

It was mutual, safe, and comforting.

Someone cared for you like no one else would.

That thought was very exhilarating.

You moved away from them and they got up to gather their things and covered their pinkened skin from where you had marked them with desire and need. Anyone else who would see them along their travel home (or whatever destination they were headed to) would never know the marks were there or who had placed them.

“Do you have to?” You croaked out, throat scratchy from the excessive use from just moments before.

“I do,” They responded as they finished tying off their belt around their waist and leaned over to give you a final kiss goodbye before leaving you in the room amongst jostled surroundings. Your heart sank with each step on the floor and you collapsed the moment you heard the door slam shut behind them.

* * *

“ _You!_ ” An accusing sound had come as you were coated with bitter liquid that chilled your skin and stained your clothes. You looked to the offender - a strange woman that you could not place - whom seemed to know you. She did not look to be fond of you, either.

“How _dare_ you! Taking an innocent façade even though you know what you did!” Her face was beat red, liquid glistened in her waterline and smudged her kohl liner as she dropped the glass and you heard it _thunk_ on the floor beside your seat.

“I’m sorry, I—“ You started, but she stopped you.

“Save your excuses and your lies! You knew they were mine! Don't play dumb!” They spouted off, jabbing a finger into your chest, making sure each jab dug into the same spot. “Only a stupid whore would come between a wife and her lover! You _home wrecker_!” She made sure to punctuate the end of her sentence with a quick clap to your cheek, stinging your skin.

* * *

“Hey,” Your lover from before, curled you close in their arms from behind, pressing their chest to the back of your shoulder and grazed your temple with tender lips. “What’s wrong? This _always_ gets you going…” Their tone teased and their hands did too.

You swallowed a hard lump in your throat that would not go away. The incident at the tavern had been bothering you this whole time, but they did not seem to notice and continued anyway. They found your ear lobe and nibbled it, wantonly.

“Am I… the other person?”

* * *

“What does it matter to you?” They berated, throwing a chair down in the taproom beside you.

The bartender rushed over at the clamor.

“They fucking died of their own doing! Yet you act as if I pushed off of a ledge!” They were angry just from the mention of the wife who had attacked you and yelled insults at you in front of everyone. You heard that their partner had passed, and you approached them, wanting to console them as a friend would. When the scandal had been revealed to the town, you took the lead and ended the affair as soon as you had discovered what your role was. You conceded to wear that heavy burden of being the villain. You kept the degrading, shaming titles everyone in town whispered when you walked down the streets. You did it for them and their wife, so they could be happy and work things out.

“It takes two - let’s not forget that _you_ screwed around with _me_!” They called as the bartender escorted them out of the tavern. "You are just as guilty! _You_ caused this, too!”

Once through the threshold, other patrons pointed and scoffed at you. They whispered amongst themselves about the siren who had disgraced their family name.

* * *

You had come home from the market one day and found “LEECH” written in big, bold letters scratched along your doorframe and a window to your house shattered. Probably from one of their relatives, still blaming you for the misfortune that befell their family. You quickly rushed inside to hide and felt everyone stare at you as you fled, casting their judgements at the town fool.

* * *

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t know. That person… they were at fault.” Julian offered in a soothing tone as he tried to bring you in to a comforting embrace but still sensed you did not want to be touched.

“It’s my fault their life was ruined. I thought I was in love.” You took your inner cheek between your teeth and bit at it nervously as the memories made you shiver in fear and regret. “Rumors went around town that they jumped, they slit their wrists, hung themselves... all kinds of vulgar things. It all stemmed from me thinking I was in love.”

“They hid the relationship from you.” Julian pressed, finally giving in and gently grabbing your upper arm in attempt to pull you to him.

The instant he wrapped his fingers around your limb, you jolted up and away from Julian, ripping your arm from his grasp. You gave him a quick glance before turning to grab your bag from on the night stand and all but ran to the door. You opened it, rushed through, and let it slam shut behind you, leaving Julian speechless in the bedroom.

Alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I daringly posted my Tumblr on my profile.
> 
> I'm sorry for the random.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! I love hearing from you guys and how much you enjoyed the stories!


	5. A Bright Moon and the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julian learned what made you tick.  
> After making you completely uncomfortable, he tries to make things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “If the roof were to collapse on me tonight, I'd _deserve_ it.”
> 
> “Then help me understand.”
> 
> “It’s my fault their life was ruined. I thought I was in love.”

“[Name]!” Julian’s voice called out from the beginning of the abandoned dock. You sighed and looked back to see his auburn curls lightly bouncing as he trotted towards you on it's wooden surface. “I was looking all over for you.”

“Started at the taverns, didn’t you?” You accused him as you turned your attention back to the breaking waves on the vast ocean ahead of you.

“I— erm, no.” Julian quickly answered defensively, but you could hear in his tone that you were correct. He probably had bright red hues staining his cheeks from embarrassment, too.

“Of course you did. That’s the only place you’ve seen me haunt in this city, so it must be the place I go to find solace also.” You snipped angrily.

Julian’s steps changed pace from a rush to soft, studied steps towards your position. You thought you heard a small croak from his throat as he tried to think of a response, but you shrugged it off not really expecting anything more.

“So how’d you find me here?” You asked, interrupting his attempt to scrape up an explanation for the first question from you.

After some pause, he spoke up. “I was heading back to the shack… in hopes to find you there.”

“Funny.”

“How so?” Julian sounded perplexed.

You shrugged instead of responding. Julian took this silent opportunity to meet you at the end of the dock and lower himself down to sit beside you with a practiced and slow moving motion, as if a faster motion would scare you away like a skittish animal. In this moment you note his long limbs and concentrated expression and let your eyes linger longer than originally intended. When he settled, instead of looking at you, Julian turned his gaze to the blue horizon and placed his hands behind him to lean back on as he studied where the earth met the sky. You turned your gaze back out to the water as well, watching waves roll in and listening to the motions of the sea.

“Have I told you about how I once was a pirate?” Julian spoke, a smile forming on his lips at the recollection.

You clicked your tongue on the roof of your mouth before answering him with a snicker. “Explains the eyepatch.”

Julian hummed to suppress his chuckle, “They’ve got jokes.” He watched your own expression crack from one that was on edge towards a hint of relaxation.

“It was a good one.”

Julian made a low hum from the back of his throat again in affirmation to your statement. You felt a flutter in your stomach at the sound and repressed the urge to squirm on the dock beside him. _I wouldn’t mind hearing that a few more times…_ You allowed yourself to wonder.

Without taking a moment for pause, Julian started to explain how he had come to end up on the pirate ship and how the crew allowed him to sail with them. He spun story after story of epic sword fights and hunts for treasure. Little by little he found descriptive words and detailed similes that coaxed various smiles and responses out of you. All the while, he held a smile on his face and an excited expression, noting your participation in listening. He lost himself in his storytelling, gaining voices for characters and mimicking the motions characters would do for you to see. When the tales had come to their end, Julian dropped his hands and turned his attention on you. “Would you like to go somewhere else with me?”

You raised a brow, curious as to where this was leading. “Where could you possibly take me that I haven't been already?” Julian got up from his seat (eagerly and a bit less graceful than before) and extended a hand while crouching down to reach you. With a small amount of effort from either party, you were brought to your feet.

“It’s a beautiful surprise.” Julian answered you, as his fingers lingered and traced themselves along your skin and out of your palm when you stood your full height. “I have a feeling that you will love it.”

* * *

You stared into the dark hole ahead of you and cocked your brow as the both of you stood in the middle of the forest outlining the northern side of the city. Julian stood beside you, proud with his hands propped against his hips as he confidently examined the opening with you. The greenery from the floor of the forest crept its way over the stones outlining the opening of the cave, some vines dangled creating sparse curtains. The rest of the overgrowth webbed its way over some of the flooring, stretching far into the mouth of the cave. Intrigue plagued you as you heard Julian gently chuckle at your hesitation to dive in.

"Nervous?" He teased as he started to lower himself to slide into the entrance. The dip in the floor was just steep enough that it was not safe to walk down without support. Plus, if Julian had simply walked into the hole, he would have bumped his head on the ceiling of the narrow opening.

You stomped in response, holding your tongue as you watched him disappear into the mouth. "I was admiring the foliage!" You shouted towards him, hearing your voice echo faintly deep in the cave but no response from your companion. Your eyes opened wide as you heard the echo and imagined the big caverns inside of the structure which only enticed you to dive in. You lowered yourself, as Julian had, and started to scoot down over the rocks and into the drop of the mouth of the cave.

Once your eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, you searched for which way Julian went. However, he had disappeared from the cave opening and must have delved deeper into the structure. Gaining up courage, you continued along the darkened path extending your hands out to catch a wall to help guide you along your path hoping you were heading the same way as he had.

A few more feet in, you started to call out for him. "Julian?" You let your hand trace along the cool rock wall as you tried to catch up to the tall man, stepping quickly before feeling for the next step in attempt to find him quicker. "Where'd you go?" You asked again, taking another step towards the growing echo of your voice. A cavern must be close by, and you figured that was where Julian was trying to take you.

 _Great. I lost him. He tells me he wants me to see something and then just vanishes…_ You thought, taking another unchecked step forward and pushing your weight forward as you started to pull your other foot up. Which… felt strange when your forward foot had not hit a solid flooring yet. The more you put your weight forward, the further your foot sunk down without anything catching it to support you. As your foot dropped, your hand along the wall started to slip and felt yourself lose balance. To fight the impending fall downwards, your fingers hooked in hopes to grab some protruding part of the cave wall, but the smooth stone was seamless. Right when you started to open your mouth to let out a yell, something grabbed the back of your shirt and quickly pulled you back.

Julian let out an  _"oof"_  when you landed against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around you to secure your weight on him so you could regain your balance. "That was close." He spoke with warm breath on your ear, the voice velvety with a hint of amusement, and it sent shivers down your spine.

You blushed deeply as you looked down and noticed a dead drop about eight feet before you, which lead down into what looked like a lake at the bottom of the cave. The water lightly glistened under the moon and stars from the hole in the ceiling above as some mist dissipated from atop the water and let the light shine without refraction. You pushed away and out of his arms once you regained your senses and looked back to see Julian, your repeat savior, looking back at you eagerly searching your expression.

"See? Beautiful, isn't it?" Julian asked for your agreement as he stepped beside you and towards the ledge. Awestruck and nervous, you nodded as you watched his steps draw closer to the ledge you had nearly fallen off just moments earlier.

"I can't believe I haven't been here before." You finally told him as you swept your eyes back out and over the body of water, watching the ripples on the water make the light of the moon dance and sparkle. You looked down at the drop you had nearly fallen off and give a nervous grin.

Beside you, Julian squat down and peered out over the lake, then gazed up at the moon and stars, raking in their beauty. “I stumbled across that massive hole in the ground on my way into town a few nights before I met you in the tavern. I was curious and looked around until I found the opening to this cave and explored until I found this spot.” He turned his silver eye back to you and studied your response to everything he had shown you.

You followed him and sat down on the ledge that overlooked the water. You let your feet dangle over the drop and followed his gaze up in awe at the twinkling map above.

“You know, across the sea there’s a culture that says the stars hold a thousand stories in them.” Julian struck up a conversation, then pointed above the both of you through the hole in the cave. He singled out a general area, waving his gloved hand to gesture towards a cluster of twinkling lights in the sky. “This corner holds a love story that the people liked to tell.”

You felt your expression fall from awe to a flat one as Julian mentioned the word ‘love’. Without him noticing, you shifted a bit to get a better view of the area he was gesturing to, closer to the wall you were using for guidance earlier. You let out an unimpressed sigh, “I don’t understand how they see what’s what up there.  I just see sparkling lights.” You leaned against the wall beside you.

Julian chuckled, then started to describe what stars formed the constellation that he was talking about. “A woman was a child of a well known queen.” He started to explain, and your eyes drifted back to him as you felt another story being spun. “The queen was very vain and angered a god when she claimed to have a beauty that could not be rivaled by the creatures that were precious to him.” You watched Julian as enthusiasm flickered in his eye. “The god got so furious that he kidnapped the queen’s daughter and chained her to a rock to feed her to a beast as punishment to teach the queen a lesson for mocking his creatures.” He looked down and saw a small rock flooring across the lake protrude out and used it to describe how the girl was chained up, alone, awaiting her death brought on by her mother.

“How unfortunate.” You told him, envisioning the scene of a terrified girl watching the sea as she anticipated a monster coming to eat her alive. “The woman’s mother caused the issue and she was getting punished for it.”

Julian turned to you and nodded with a smirk that told you there was more to the story. He _did_ tell you this was a love story, after all. “While the queen’s daughter awaited her death, a man came to her family’s home and proposed a deal for her parents. The king and queen worked out an agreement with him: _‘If you save our daughter from the sea monster, you may have her as your wife.’_ ” Julian sat up straight, puffed out his chest and took on a stern tone, impersonating the story’s king as he spoke the last sentence, then returned to his enthusiastic, storyteller demeanor. “The man went out and soon found the daughter chained up and awaiting death. He saved her from the monster by slaying it and brought her home safely to her parents. However, in the king and queen’s palace was another man - awaiting the arrival of his saved betrothed.”

Julian paused for effect and you caved, unable to deny the man what he was waiting for. You gave him an audible gasp of interest and shock, egging on Julian's behavior. Had he not been so good at telling stories, you would not have encouraged him, but the way he spun tales was so practiced and lively. Julian grinned in response to your gasp, then continued on with his story.

“The daughter’s savior was angry, explaining to the man that he had struck a deal with the king and queen before risking life and limb to save her. The man fought back, stating that he was promised the daughter’s hand long ago and challenged our hero to a duel.” Julian got up from squatting by the ledge and mimicked holding a sword out, ready for a fight. “They fought intensely and our hero almost met his demise.” Julian mimicked falling to his knee, dropping his imagined sword and wrapping an arm around his waist, gritting his teeth as if in pain. “Growing tired from having fought a sea creature and now a spry man who had all of his energy in his reserve, our hero resorted to tricks and a souvenir from his prior adventures to turn the opponent into stone.” Julian wiggled his fingers forward, an intriguing look came upon his face as he arched a brow and narrowed his eyes as if the hero had pulled a cheap, magical parlor trick. “Having won the fight, he took the daughter’s hand and her heart.” Giving another pause for effect, he returned to his seat on the ground beside you and looked up at the stars again. “They lived happily ever after.”

You lowered your gaze from Julian to the water, the end of the story leaving a craving in your chest that was all too familiar. “Love is for chumps.” You said gently, pulling your knees to your chest and crossing your arms atop them to lay your head on.

A moment passed and Julian’s smile faded a bit. Then he looked over to you. Reaching a hand out, he gently pushed his leather fingertips to touch your forehead and brushed the hair blocking your eyes away from your face. You looked up to meet his eye; a flush lightly stained your cheeks in response to his touch. You realized how touch starved you actually were from such a simple gesture, and you secretly hoped he would rake his hand through your hair or cup your cheek with his hand. Looking into your eyes, Julian tried to give you a weak but reassured smile. “It’s out there. Just keep looking, you’ll stumble into it one day.”

* * *

Upon your return to the hotel you paused just outside of the two rooms you had managed to get across the hall from each other. Julian started to fiddle with his key when you grabbed his sleeve gently, mindful of the still healing wound in his arm. “Thank you,” You told him a bit hushed.

Julian met your gaze and examined it for sincerity. Upon finding it, he gave you a confident smile. “Whatever for?” He egged on. You tightened your lip, coaxing a chuckle from his throat again. Once more, your heart fluttered.

“For finding me valid, I suppose.” You answered him, standing on your toes as you leaned in towards his face.

Gently, you touched your lips to his jawline, and felt heat rise from his flesh underneath the contact.

“I— Erm—“ Julian sputtered out, and you smiled lightly as you dropped back down onto flat feet and let your hand slip off of his arm. You fished out your own key for your room, and with deft hands you unlocked it and opened the door. After stepping inside of the room, you turned and watched his face with a smile as the door shut slowly behind you.

“I’ll see you in the morning!” You quickly added just before the door clicked shut, leaving him bright red and speechless in the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry! I got really busy and got caught up with reading Asra's portion of the Arcana story. (I was trying to catch up... finally did so I can read all chapters at the time they come out now.)
> 
> I tried to make up for it by making it longer than normal too... Enjoy some fluff!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and some kudos! Tell me what you think!


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